Adjustable concrete form spacer and clamp



Jan. 26, 1937 R. c. DAY 2,069,085

ADJUSTABLE CONCRETE FORM SPACER AND. CLAMP Filed March 25, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet l A [for ney R. C. DAY

' ADJUSTABLE CONCRETE FORM SPACER AND CLAMP Jari. 26, 1937.

Filed March 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney Patented Jan. 26, 1937FFICE ADJUSTABLE CONCRETE FORM SPACER AND CLAMP Roy 0. Day, Delphi, Ind.

Application March 25, 1935, Serial No. 12,953

10 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable concrete form spacerand clamp and it more especially consists of the features pointed out inthe annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a form clamp that is quicklyapplied, rapidly adjusted into alignment with other clamps; and that maybe rapidly removed after the concrete is set. The clamp is very simpleto make. It is instances of adaptation as will show the broad underlyingfeatures without limiting myself to the specific details shown thereonand described herein.

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevation of a concrete form with my spacerclamp in position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached view of the adjustable end of the clamp.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the tension end of theclamp.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view of one of the cones.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of an adjusting cone.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of an opposing cone.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the tension device.

Fig. 8 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing modified clamping meansfor the forms.

Fig. 9 is a detached sectional elevation of a portion of Fig. 1 showingthe use of a set screw in-- stead of the serrated dogs.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of a spirally grooved cone.

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a plan view in section of the clamping means shown at theright hand end of Fig. 8.

Fig. 13 is an end view partly in section of the clamping means shown inFig. 1 illustrating the use of a tightening wedge.

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic elevation showing how the cones areprovisionally held against the form.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged outer end elevation of the clamping means shownin Fig. 8.

There have been devised many different kinds of form clamps. The mostprimitive type of form clamps includes spacer rods and adjacentlypositioned twisted wire ties. This type is very difficult to adjust sothat a form through its length will be in the desired alignment.

In using my invention I may employ whatever equivalents andmodifications that the exigencies of varying conditions may demandwithout departing from the broad spirit of the invention.

A conventional type of concrete form is shown on the drawings. It hasthe usual board sides, I, secured to the studding 2. At points where itis desired to hold the sides in spaced apart relation, liners or walers3, are nailed to a pair of adjacently positioned studding. Holes arebored through the boards on one side in alignment with similar holesbored in the boards on the other side.

A rod 4 projects on each side of the form for a convenient distance. Atthe left hand end on the drawings, it is threaded at I3. At this point aWasher I2, having a large diameter flange is adjusted on the rod by anut. The flange may abut against a pair of liners 3, or theirequivalent. At the other end of the rod 4, a clutch or tension member I4is positioned. It also has a large diameter flange which abuts a pair ofliners 3. It has a slot I5 in which a clutch lever I8, is pivoted at I!between cheeks 24. The lever has a curved eccentric portion I6 providedwith teeth which engage the rod 4.

At the other end of the rod 4 a square or hexagon ended sleeve II passesloosely over the rod. The threads of the sleeve engage the threads onthe inside of the cone 1 which threads may end at 9. This cone alsoloosely receives one end of the spacing tube 5 which may be of metal.The other end of this tube is seated in a recess I9 of the cone 6.Before the concrete is poured the sides I are brought into alignment bymeans of the adjusting screw or sleeve II and the washer I2. There thewhole structure adjacent each rod 4 is clamped firmly by the teeth I6 ofthe clamping lever I8. This pulls the rod 4 endwise and the washer I2against the liners 3. The sleeve I I abuts the tube 5 at 9 so as to movethe far side of the form outward or inward as needed thus shifting thecone I and the cone 6 at the same time. When the cone side is firstaligned then the other side is brought against the cone I by the washerI2, after which both sides I are drawn tightly against both cones bymeans of the clamp or tension lever I8 acting on the rod 4.

After the concrete has set sufficiently to remove the form the clamp I8is instantly released. This frees the rod 4 which is then pulled out ofthe tube 5 by the washer I2. The cones 6 and I have slots I formed intheir large ends into which a fiat ended screw driver may be placed toloosen and remove them from the concrete after which the pipe is pushedout and the recesses formed by the cones and the hole formed by the pipeare filled with cement. The cone 5 may be threaded a short distance infrom its large end so that if necessary, in case it should stick in theconcrete, a sleeve I! or a similarly threaded rod may be used to removethe cone. The sleeve H may also serve a similar purpose for the sleevei.

In order that the clamping member l4 may be speedily placed on the rod 4and as speedily removed the lever E8 is normally held by means of alight spring 22 acting against an extension 2i so that the teeth 16 arepractically out of engagement with the rod d. The lever i8 is pushed inthe direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 to bring the teeth 16 intoengagement with the rod i to hold all the parts under tension. Sumcientclearance is provided between the extension 25 and the member I 4 topermit the teeth 56 to come into engagement with the rod. The spring 22only needs to move the light lever a very slight amount.

All of the parts can be used over and over and the only changes whichneed to be made for different thicknesses of walls, abutments etc. is tocut the tubes 5 and the rods 4 to the required length. In standardthickness of concrete the tubes are all duplicates of each other and therods may also be in duplicate, though it is immaterial if longer rodsare used than the given width of the form may require.

In Figures 8-15, inclusive, I show modified means for alining concreteforms in which the arrangement shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 1 isused in connection with a wedge for rapid tightening of the part againstthe form. This does away with the threaded end E3 of the rod 4 shown inFig. 1 and it also may supplant the use of the spacing tubes 5 shown inthe same figure. Modified cones 25 have openings therethrough for therod 4. These cones after being in position on a rod l, are held in closecontact with the form I by suitable nails 29 driven into the form. Afterthe concrete has set, the nails will remain in the form as it isremoved. The nails pass through shallow notches 28 which are made at areverse angle to that of the cones. This arrangement holds the conesagainst the form so that cement will not run between the form and thecones. In order that the opening left by the cones shall have ridgesformed therein, to prevent the cement filling separating, cones 26 havespiral grooves 21 formed thereon which leave their impress in theconcrete. Through the use of slots M1 the cones, as heretofore stated,are easily turned and removed from the concrete.

The modified clamping means shown in Figs. 8-15, inclusive, include abarrel 35 which has an enlarged conical end 30, that abuts the walers.An internal bore 36 in the barrel and an inclined slot 44 in the end 30for the wedge 3! are formed. In the bore 36 a tube 38 may slide. Thistube carries the same holding device 58 as is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Inorder that the tube 38 will not accidentally drop out of the barrel 35,pins 39 enter side-slots 3'! of the barrel. The upstanding ears 24 aswell as the boss for set screw 42 shown on Fig. 9, have endwise movementin the slot 4! with the tube 33 in the bore of the barrel 35. The wedge3i is slotted at 33. It has an extra slope 32 so as to give it a quickstart when it is placed in the slot 44 of the enlarged end 30 of thebarrel 35. The slot 33 permits. the wedge 3| to pass over the rod 4. Inorder that the wedges 3! may not become lost, cotter pins 34 or anyother equivalent spans the bottom end used a very slight bend will beproduced in rods d, thus assisting in additionally holding the clamps onthe rod against endwise displacement. To dismantle a form it is onlynecessary to trip the dogs l8 to disengage the teeth i6, and drive thewedges 3! loose when the rods 4 will be instantly free to be pulled outas soon as the clamping means are slid off from its ends, In assemblingthe clamp, the one side of the form is lined up, and holes are made forthe rods. On this end of a rod a clamp is secured, another clamp is puton the other end of the rod, the dog is set and the wedge is drivenhome. The extent of the take-up is varied by the distance the sleeve 38projects into the path of the wedge 38.

What I claim is:

1. In form spacers, a pair of forms, a distancing tube, a cone at eachend or" the tube said cones having openings to receive the tube, a rodwithin the tube which extends beyond the forms, a threaded sleeveadapted to pass onto the rod and engage threads on one of the cones andat the same time engage one end of the tube while the other end of thetube engages a shoulder in the other cone, a washer adapted to engagethe outside of one side of the form while threaded on that end of therod, a removable clamping Washer on the other end of the rod adapted toengage the outside of the other side of the form, and means on suchwasher for pulling the rod endwise and simultaneously clamping itagainst further movement.

2. A device of the class described for aligning concrete forms,comprising a distancing tube, a one-piece clamping rod projecting beyondthe tube and the form, a pair of cones loosely engaging the ends of thetube, a form externalof each cone, means on the rod for adjusting onecone in respect of its cooperating form, and means on the rod forrigidly securing the cone and form to each other.

3. In concrete form devices, a pair of forms, means for adjusting theforms to a predetermined distance apart and means for aligning the formsto a given standard, such means comprising a rod which projects from theforms, a spacing tube on the rod, a pair of cones on the tube and therod, means for adjusting one cone by a sleeve loose on the rod andthreaded in the cone, means for forcing one form against said cone, andmeans on the other end of the rod for forcing the forms toward eachother and simultaneously holding them against separation.

4. A concrete form spacer and adjuster comprising a pair of forms, atube for limiting the distance the forms are to be maintained apart, a

one-piece rod passing through the tube and pro-' jecting away from theforms, limiting members such as cones on the tube positioned against theend of each cone, a sleeve threaded into one cone and engaging one endof the tube the other end of the tube resting against a shoulder in theother cone, and a rod passing through the tube and the sleeve, and meanson the rod for clamping the form against the cones whereby the distancebetween the large ends of the cones and the position of the tube may bechanged.

6. A concrete form spacer and adjuster comprising a flanged portionhaving a hub projection therefrom and an opening therethrough, a rod inthe opening, an upstanding cam member pivoted in a slot of the hubadapted to engage the rod, and a spring between the hub and a sideextension of the cam member for automatically holding the cam portion ofthe lever in engagement with the rod.

7. A concrete form spacer and adjuster comprising a flanged portion forengaging a form, a hub projection therefrom having a large slottedopening therein, a removable rod passing through the hub and the flange,a collar within such opening, said rod passing through the collar, meanson the latter for engaging the rod to secure the collar and rod parts toeach other, and. a slotted wedge passing through the flange portion andsimultaneously engaging the flange and the collar while at the same timestraddling the rod.

8. A concrete form spacer and adjuster comprising a flanged clampingmember having an enlarged opening and a transverse slot therethrough, arod passing through the flange and extending beyond the clamping member,a collar in the large opening of the clamping member, means on thecollar for attaching and detaching it to the rod, oppositely positionedradial pins on the collar entering said slots in said clamping memberfor maintaining the collar in adjustable alignment and from separationfrom the clamping member, and a slotted wedge between the flange and thecollar.

9. In concrete form spacers, a concrete form, a rod passing entirelythrough the form, separate clamping means at each end of the rodabutting the outside of the form, said clamping means comprising asleeve on the rod, a tube on the sleeve, said tube having an enlargedend for engagement with the form, clamping means between the sleeve andthe rod, Wedge shaped means between the sleeve and the tube, and meansfor retaining the sleeve and the tube in adjustable assembled relationwhereby after the sleeve is clamped to the rod and the wedge is movedendwise between the sleeve and the tube the large end of the tube willbe forced against the form at one end of the rod independently of theclamping means at the other end of the rod.

10. In form spacers, a pair of forms, a distancing tube, a one piece rodinside of the tube projecting from the outside faces of the form, a pairof cones loosely engaging the tube, means for adjusting one of the coneson the tube which surrounds the rod, and means for firmly holding theforms in adjustable engagement with the cones.

ROY C. DAY.

